Icon Cancer Centre publishes radiotherapy start time data

Timely access to radiotherapy is crucial for providing cancer patients with better health outcomes. 

However, patients and their families often face uncertainty when choosing where they can receive radiotherapy treatment as quickly as possible, with no consistent data on start times. 

Australia’s largest dedicated cancer care provider, Icon Cancer Centre, is now publishing current data, updated monthly, to help patients and their loved ones better understand their options when it comes to accessing timely radiotherapy treatment. 

To provide transparency and help people plan their care, Icon Cancer Centre’s radiotherapy sites across Australia are now publishing dynamic data to show:  

• The national median number of days from referral to first consultation with an Icon radiation oncologist.  

• The national and centre-specific average number of business days from a patient being ready for care to the start of treatment. 

Across Icon’s Australian radiotherapy sites, the current median time from referral to first consultation is five days, while the average number of days to start treatment is also five.   

“Access to radiotherapy should be measured in days not weeks or months,” says Icon Cancer Centre Australia and New Zealand CEO, Paul Fenton. 

“We are the only Australian cancer care provider to publish current data that shows how quickly patients can start treatment at our centres once they are ready for care. 

“This transparency provides patients, their families and medical teams with the information they need to prioritise timely, effective treatment. We have introduced this resource across our radiotherapy centres in Australia to help people understand when their treatment can begin and the experience they can expect from our teams of highly experienced cancer specialists. 

“We aim to provide some relief to patients and their loved ones during such a difficult time in their lives.” 

Icon Cancer Centre is at the forefront of radiotherapy techniques and technology, with continued investment in advanced stereotactic radiotherapy technologies like Gamma Knife and CyberKnife. 

This gives doctors greater flexibility to select treatment pathways that focus on delivering the best possible outcomes and experience for patients, while ensuring patients have access to world-class care closer to home.  

“Around 50% of all patients diagnosed with cancer require radiotherapy treatment. Radiotherapy plays a significant role in prolonging life, relieving symptoms and pain management,” says Icon Cancer Centre Radiation Oncologist, Associate Professor Matthew Foote.  

“It’s an important and highly effective cancer treatment and we know that delays in accessing radiotherapy can lead to poorer clinical outcomes for patients.”  

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia CEO, Anne Savage, says the data-driven system improvement will transform care and save lives. 

“For people facing cancer, every minute matters. Reducing uncertainty around when treatment can begin can significantly ease the emotional burden on patients and their families,” says Anne. 

“A diagnosis of cancer is deeply distressing and is often made more difficult when grappling with decisions about treatment and care. Access to reliable and trustworthy data, and timely care, is critical to each patient’s emotional and clinical wellbeing. 

“We know that delays in treatment can impact both clinical outcomes and quality of life. This initiative by Icon Cancer Centre empowers patients and Australian cancer care systems.” 

The data is published on the Icon Cancer Centre Australia website. For more information, visit www.iconcancercentre.com.au